Setting a strong foundation in reading

Long after classes had ended at Gale Math and Science Academy in Rogers Park, Kathy Barnett leaned in over a book in the school cafeteria with a rambunctious, second-grader by her side.

On the surface, the pair couldn't be any more different. But each afternoon, Barnett, 64, a reserved retiree with white hair and glasses from Wilmette and her eager young protege share the same goal. They are part of an after-school reading program that pairs trained reading specialists with struggling second- and third-graders. Twice a week they meet, and sit for more than an hour reviewing words, reading books to each other and slowly progressing both as teacher and student.

"I get just as much out of this as he does," said Barnett, who has been a tutor for more than 12 years. "This work is meaningful. I want to give these kids a chance. Reading is the foundation for everything."

The Howard Area Community Center's After School Reading Program is one of the many projects to receive a grant through Chicago Tribune Charities, a McCormick Foundation Fund.

For 34 years, more than 40 trained volunteers have spent the entire school year paired with schoolchildren from Gale to help them improve their reading. Before they go to work, the volunteers take a course at National Louis University to learn just how to reach their pupils and keep them focused.

Tutors spend the year assigned to one student, who has a personalized curriculum designed for their academic needs. As they get to know each other, the children and their tutors become more comfortable and committed, said Margaret Wenzel, the director of development at Howard Area Community Center.

"This is a critical age that we catch them at," she said. "It's really targeted. We see what their strengths or weaknesses are then figure out how can we get them to grade level or beyond."

Studies have shown that younger students need to master the basics of reading in second and third grade if they are to be successful later on. Recently, new research unveiled at Stanford University confirmed what educators have said all along: poorer and disadvantaged children face challenges when they learn to read.

At Gale, the obstacles for the children in the after-school reading program are many, Wenzel said. Some of them come from homes were English is the second language, so they struggle to comprehend and practice their English vocabulary. Others are in households where their parents are too busy to read to them or don't have the training to reach the children effectively.

All of the children are low-income and qualify for free or reduced-price lunch.

On a recent afternoon at Gale after the final bell rang, volunteers rushed through the halls, corralling their young charges. They started their afternoon by serving the children cereal, milk, juice and bananas to prepare them for undistracted learning.

Each tutor sat at a table alone with their student so they could concentrate. They started with a writing exercise, then worked on vocabulary and spent the rest of the time reading to each other.

"Some of our kids have not had the simple pleasure of being read to," said Cheryl Balaban, who is a lead instructor with the program. "It models good reading for them. But we save it until the end because it's a treat. First dinner, then dessert."

Because he's always working, John Williams said he hasn't had a chance to observe his daughter Aniya during her time at the program. But he's seen a difference in his 7-year-old, a second-grader at Gale.

"When she comes home, she's dedicated to her homework," he said. "Before the program she wasn't doing that. Now she's thirsty to read more.

"I don't know what they are telling these kids, but whatever it is, it got her interested."